different between sympathetic vs lenient

English

Alternative forms

• sympathetick (obsolete)
• sympathetical

Etymology

Mid 17th century in the sense “relating to an affinity or paranormal influence”, from sympathy +? -etic (“pertaining to”), on the pattern of pathetic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?m.p????t.?k/
• Rhymes: -?t?k

Adjective

sympathetic (comparative more sympathetic, superlative most sympathetic)

1. Of, related to, feeling, showing, or characterized by sympathy.

   Antonym: unsympathetic

   1. Showing approval of or favor towards an idea or action.

      Synonym: approving

2. (of a person) Attracting the liking of others.
   1. (construction) Designed in a sensitive or appropriate way.
3. (relational) Relating to, producing, or denoting an effect which arises through an affinity, interdependence, or mutual association.
   1. (of magic) A supernatural connection or power resulting from two items having the same form or some other correspondence.
   2. (sound) Relating to musical tones produced by sympathetic vibration or to strings so tuned as to sound by sympathetic vibration.
4. (neuroanatomy, neurology, relational) Relating to or denoting the part of the autonomic nervous system consisting of nerves arising from ganglia near the middle part of the spinal cord, supplying the internal organs, blood vessels, and glands, and balancing the action of the parasympathetic nerves.

   Antonym: parasympathetic

Derived terms

Related terms

• sympathico-

Translations

References

• “sympathetic”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• “sympathetic”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).

English

Etymology

From Middle French lénient, from Latin l?niens, present participle of l?n?re (“to soften, soothe”), from l?nis (“soft”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?li?ni.?nt/

Adjective

lenient (comparative more lenient, superlative most lenient)

1. Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation

   The standard is fairly lenient, so use your discretion.

   • 1847, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, Chapter XVIII

     But in other points, as well as this, I was growing very lenient to my master; I was forgetting all his faults, for which I had once kept a sharp look-out. It had formerly been my endeavour to study all sides of his character; to take the bad with the good; and from the just weighing of both, to form an equitable judgment. Now I saw no bad.

Synonyms

• lax, permissive

Antonyms

• strict
• severe
• stringent
• unlenient

Related terms

• lenience
• leniency
• lenity

Derived terms

• leniently
• unlenient

Translations

Noun

lenient (plural lenients)

1. (medicine) A lenitive; an emollient.

Further reading

• lenient in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• lenient in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• lenient at OneLook Dictionary Search

Latin

Verb

l?nient

1. third-person plural future active indicative of l?ni?